Española Valley High School
Encyclopedia
Española Valley High School (EVHS) is a Title-1 public  senior high school of the Española Public Schools
Espanola Public Schools
Española Public School District #55 or Española Public Schools is a school district based in Española, New Mexico, USA....

 District, located in Española, New Mexico
Española, New Mexico
Española also known as Espanola , is a city primarily in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, in the United States. A portion of the central and eastern section of the city is in Santa Fe County. Española was founded in 1880 as a railroad village, incorporated as a city in 1925. The city is situated in...

. EVHS has a large Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...

 student body population, known for recent academic improvements and the successful AAAA boys' basketball program. The school's once famous marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...

 appeared in the 1984 Tournament of Roses Parade
Tournament of Roses Parade
The Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day , produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.The annual...

.

The school is located in the Española city limits in "Fairview", a small suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...

 in the southern part of Rio Arriba County. EVHS also serves the communities of Alcalde
Alcalde, New Mexico
Alcalde is a census-designated place in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 377 at the 2000 census. "Alcalde" literally means "Mayor" in Spanish.-Geography:...

, Velarde as well as the northern part of Santa Fe County, including Chimayo
Chimayo, New Mexico
Chimayo is a census-designated place in Rio Arriba and Santa Fe Counties in the U.S. state of New Mexico; the community's name is more correctly pronounced and spelled Chimayó, a name that derives from a Tewa name for a local landmark, the hill of Tsi Mayoh...

, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, New Mexico
Santa Cruz is a census-designated place in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. It is part of the Santa Fe, New Mexico Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 423 at the 2000 census.-Colonial period:...

, and Sombrillo
Sombrillo, New Mexico
Sombrillo is a census-designated place in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. It is part of the Santa Fe, New Mexico Metropolitan Statistical Area...

. EVHS also attracts commuter students from other school districts and neighboring towns such as Dixon
Dixon, New Mexico
Dixon is an unincorporated village located in Rio Arriba County in the U.S. state of New Mexico, on NM Highway 75, just east of NM Highway 68 in the north-central part of the state, at Latitude 36.20 & Longitude -105.89. The elevation of Dixon is 6028 feet above sea level...

, Pojoaque
Pojoaque, New Mexico
Pojoaque is a census-designated place in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. It is part of the Santa Fe, New Mexico Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,261 at the 2000 census. Pojoaque and Pojoaque Pueblo are neighboring communities...

 and Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...

.

The Mascot of EVHS is a "Sun Devil". However, the school refers to it as one word, Sundevils.

History

Española
Española, New Mexico
Española also known as Espanola , is a city primarily in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, in the United States. A portion of the central and eastern section of the city is in Santa Fe County. Española was founded in 1880 as a railroad village, incorporated as a city in 1925. The city is situated in...

 was founded with the introduction of the railroads in 1880, with the railroads came a influx in population and a demand for public education by 1900. Two high schools opened; Santa Cruz High School
Santa Cruz High School (Española, New Mexico)
The old Santa Cruz High School was located in Santa Cruz, New Mexico. The school opened in 1925 to a group of 89 students. In 1925 it was the only high school in Española until 1930 when Española High School opened. The colors for SCHS were Royal Blue and Gold and their mascot was a Crusader. In...

 in 1908, and Española High School in 1920, both schools were located on opposite sides of the Rio Grande River.

After decades of being rivals that separated the town, the two schools would merge. Construction of a new school in 1973 began, the location was chosen on the city’s east side and would be the only public high school for miles. Española Valley High School was the name chosen and doors opened in the fall semester of 1975 to over 900 students. The first graduating class was 1976 and Merce Villareal was chosen to be the first principal.

While the new campus was under construction sporting events remained at the old Española High School because of a lack of funds. In 1979 a new sports complex was finally complete at the new high school campus along with the gymnasium, known today as Edward Medina gym. The gymnasium is the largest high school basketball facility in the state of New Mexico.

The Buildings of the old High schools became a catholic elementary school and a middle school.

Enrollment

In 1987 student enrollment was approximately 1,335. In earlier years attendance hit nearly 1,490 the highest enrollment at EVHS. In 2004 the enrollment dropped to nearly 781 students. In the 2010/2011 school year enrollment rose to over 1,123 students for the first time since 2001.

Marching Band

Española Valley High's Band "Sound of Northern New Mexico" received an invitation from the Tournament of Roses Parade
Tournament of Roses Parade
The Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day , produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.The annual...

 in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...

, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 in 1984. In the 1980s EVHS was well known throughout New Mexico for its marching band which also attended many band competitions including many college bowl games. EVHS is only 1 out of 4 schools in New Mexico to receive the honor of attending and marching in the Rose Parade.

Mariachi Band

In the late 1990s there no longer was a marching band at Española Valley. Music teacher Alfonso Trujillo started a small mariachi
Mariachi
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind,...

 band
School band
A school band is a group of student musicians who rehearse and perform instrumental music together. A concert band is usually under the direction of one or more conductors...

 as an elective class. The group was named "Mariachi Sol del Valle" and performed for local events for several years. In 2008 when Presidential candidate Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

 stopped in Espanola for a campaign rally the band performed in the event. Months later the schools band received an invitation from out of 1,400 schools throughout the country to be a participant in the 2009 Presidential inaugural parade in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....


Curriculum

Students of Española Valley High School are on a individualized four-year plan due to standards-based curriculum set up by the school. Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors
Honors course
Honors course is a distinction applied in the United States to certain classes to distinguish them from standard course offerings. The difference between a regular class and the honors class is not necessarily the amount of work, but the type of work required and the pace of studying...

 courses are offered at EVHS in almost every subject. There are over 20 elective classes offered to students including concurrent enrollment at Northern New Mexico College
Northern New Mexico College
Northern New Mexico College, formerly known as Northern New Mexico Community College, is a two-year and four-year degree granting institution with campuses in Española and El Rito, New Mexico...

. Their main campus is located half a mile from the high school in Española.

Clubs and organizations

There are over 45 clubs, organizations and extracurricular activities at EVHS, Most notable are the Supercomputing Challenge
Supercomputing Challenge
The Supercomputing Challenge is an annual state wide competition in Supercomputing held in New Mexico for high school programmers.Begun in 1991 from a grant from Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Supercomputing Challenge offers students a chance to write a program and compete against different...

 which has received many awards from state competitions, M.E.S.A, The student run newspaper, Student School improvement team, and the Student Council
Student council
Student council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...

 which attends the NMASC
New Mexico Association of Student Councils
New Mexico Association of Student Councils is New Mexico's premier student leadership organization! Whose goals are to offer outstanding leadership training experiences, resources and networking opportunities for students and advisers all across the Land of Enchantment...

 State conference every year, a EVHS student currently sits on the state executive board as State secretary.

No Child Left Behind Act

EVHS's former principal Bruce Hopmeier was a vocal proponent of former President Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

's controversial No Child Left Behind Act
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a United States Act of Congress concerning the education of children in public schools.NCLB was originally proposed by the administration of George W. Bush immediately after he took office...

.
Since 2004, EVHS has been tested against the New Mexico State Board of Education
Board of education
A board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or higher administrative level....

's criteria for Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, is a measurement defined by the United States federal No Child Left Behind Act that allows the U.S. Department of Education to determine how every public school and school district in the country is performing academically according to results on standardized...

 mandated by No Child Left Behind as determined by the school's performance and participation rates in the New Mexico AYP standardized test for math and reading proficiency. 76% of EVHS's participating 11th grade students had adequate proficiency
Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, is a measurement defined by the United States federal No Child Left Behind Act that allows the U.S. Department of Education to determine how every public school and school district in the country is performing academically according to results on standardized...

 in math and reading in 2006/07. However, EVHS failed to meet the AYP requirements in 2008/09, 2009/10, and 2010/11. In each of these years the school was assigned designation "Restructuring 2".

Principals

The current pricipal of EVHS is: Theresa Flores, who previously served as the school's athletic director for two years. She took over from Arthur Salazar, who previously served from (1985–1989). Bruce Hopmeier, is longest serving principal who served 7 years as principal.

Student body statistics

Ethnicity This School State Average
White (not hispanic) 16% 29%
Hispanic (of any race) 74% 56%
American Indian/Alaskan Native 8% 11%
African American 1% 3%
Pacific Islander 1% 1%


The student body at EVHS is mostly made up of mostly middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....

, upper middle class
Upper middle class
The upper middle class is a sociological concept referring to the social group constituted by higher-status members of the middle class. This is in contrast to the term "lower middle class", which is used for the group at the opposite end of the middle class stratum, and to the broader term "middle...

 and a few low income students.

Credit requirements

The current course credits needed to graduate from EVHS is 24; from 2003 to 2010 only 23 credits were needed.

Political Figures

  • T. Glenn Ellington, State of New Mexico District Court Judge, Div 7. (1997–2001, 2011–Present), State Court of Appeals Judge (2002–2010), Class of 1979
  • Debbie A. Rodella, State Representative Dist. 41 (1993–Present) Chair of Legislative Business & Industry Committee, Class of 1979
  • Valerie Espinoza, Current Santa Fe County Clerk (2005–present)
  • Daniel Sanchez, State of New Mexico District Court Judge, Div 7. (2002–2010)

Authors

  • Cholene Espinoza, United Airlines Captain, military correspondent for Talk Radio News and Author of "Through the Eye of the Storm"

Coaches

  • Adam Kedge – 2011 National Cross Country coach of the year and current Albuquerque Academy
    Albuquerque Academy
    Albuquerque Academy is an independent co-educational day school for grades six through twelve located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. It is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest and the New Mexico State Department of Education. Albuquerque Academy is also a member of...

     head coach, EVHS runner (80'–83'), UNM
    University of New Mexico
    The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...

     runner (84'–87'), Class of 1983.

Athletics


Española Valley High School competes in the New Mexico Activities Association
New Mexico Activities Association
The New Mexico Activities Association is a nonprofit organization that regulates interscholastic programs for junior and senior high schools in New Mexico. It hosts the statewide sports championship games each year...

, they are classified as a 4A school in District 2 along with: Bernalillo High School
Bernalillo High School
Bernalillo High School is a public high hchool in Bernalillo, New Mexico, US. The school is a part of the Bernalillo Public School District and is the only high school in the district. The mascot is the Spartan.*Senior Class President: Maria Monclova...

, Capital High School
Capital High School (Santa Fe, New Mexico)
Capital High School Is a Public High School in the City of Santa Fe, New Mexico its colors are Turquoise and Black. Their mascot is the Jaguar...

, Los Alamos High School
Los Alamos High School
Los Alamos High School, often called LAHS, is the public high school in Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA. The school opened in 1946, and was originally supported by the Atomic Energy Commission. It has been academically recognized by Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, and the New Mexico Public...

, and Santa Fe High School
Santa Fe High School (New Mexico)
Santa Fe High School, founded in 1889, is a public high school in the Santa Fe Public Schools. It is located about two miles southwest of downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico and is the largest school in Santa Fe, public or private, with an enrollment of 1,542...

.

Throughout its history, Espanola Valley has been a 4A school. Winning three state championships in various sports, and eleven individual state champions. Many graduates have gone on to participate in NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III athletics. In 1989 and 2002 the school was voted by the NMAA with the "Sportsmanship
Sportsmanship
Sportsmanship is an aspiration or ethos that a sport or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake, with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one's competitors...

 Award
Award
An award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...

".

Leonard J. Roybal is the current Athletic Director at EVHS whom served from (2003–2006). David Fontaine, former athletic director whom served from (2006-2009) had the most athletic success in the department, he left in May 2009.







Basketball

Since the 2006 season, EVHS has been well known for its strong dominance in boys basketball. The AAAA
New Mexico Activities Association
The New Mexico Activities Association is a nonprofit organization that regulates interscholastic programs for junior and senior high schools in New Mexico. It hosts the statewide sports championship games each year...

 program is coached by Richard Martinez. The team made its first state tournament in the 2005/2006 season, the Sundevils made it to the quarterfinals in 2006/2007, the semi-finals in 2007/2008, and 2008/2009. In the 2009/2010 season the Sundevils made it to the state finals, losing to Roswell High School
Roswell High School (New Mexico)
Roswell High School is a public senior high school in Roswell, New Mexico. It is a part of the Roswell Independent School District. Established in 1913, it is the oldest public high school in the city. The colors of RHS are: Dark Crimson Red, White and Black, their mascot is a Coyote...

 63-60 at University Arena. After five years of appearances in the tournament the Sundevils captured the state title in the 2010/2011 season, defeating Goddard High School
Goddard High School (New Mexico)
Robert H. Goddard High School or known as Goddard High School is a public senior high school in Roswell, New Mexico. It is a part of the Roswell Independent School District. Established in 1965, the school is named after Robert Hutchings Goddard. The colors of GHS are: Navy Blue, Columbia Blue and...

 with the leadership of senior Rodney Coles. Their record was 22-9.

Volleyball

Prior to 2003, EVHS struggled with their volleyball program until then coach Sam Estrada took over. Estrada returned as head coach of the Lady Sundevils from the 2003 through 2008 seasons. Estrada lead the team to a second place finish at the AAAA state finals in 2006 defeating then powerhouses Kirtland Central High School
Kirtland Central High School
Kirtland Central High School is located in the town of Kirtland, New Mexico its colors are Purple & Gold and their mascot is the Bronco. KCHS is a part of the Central Consolidated School District along with Newcomb High School and Shiprock High School.-Athletics:Kirtland Central is a New Mexico...

 and St. Pius X High School
St. Pius X High School (Albuquerque)
St. Pius X High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was established in 1956. It is administered in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe....

 in the first and second rounds.

Rivalries

EVHS has rivalries with two district schools, Los Alamos High School
Los Alamos High School
Los Alamos High School, often called LAHS, is the public high school in Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA. The school opened in 1946, and was originally supported by the Atomic Energy Commission. It has been academically recognized by Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, and the New Mexico Public...

 known as the "Hill-Valley rivalry", and Santa Fe High School
Santa Fe High School (New Mexico)
Santa Fe High School, founded in 1889, is a public high school in the Santa Fe Public Schools. It is located about two miles southwest of downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico and is the largest school in Santa Fe, public or private, with an enrollment of 1,542...

known as the "Purgatory rivalry".

Footnotes

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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